Buzzi



May 8, 1956 R. BUZZI 2,744,684

VARIABLE FULCRUM DIFFERENTIAL ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 9. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. RICCARDO BUZZ! ATTORNEY.

y s, 1956 R. BUZZ! 2,744,684

VARIABLE FULCRUM DIFFERENTIAL ACTUATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 9. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RICCARDO BUZZ! BY W ATTORNEY.

United States Patent i VARIABLE FULCRUM DIFFERENIIAL ACTUATING R IECHANISM Riccardo Bnzzi, Milan, Italy, assignor to Italo Rizzieri, Milan, italy Application January 9, 1951, Serial No. 265,071 Claims priority, application Italy January 14, 1950 Claims. (Cl. 235--79) This invention relates to calculating machines, and more particularly to a mechanism for actuating the register wheels of a calculating machine.

An object of the invention is to provide an actuating mechanism for actuating the numerals wheels of a register, wherein the hitherto customary springs are eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an actuating mechanism for actuating the register wheels of a calculating machine which may be manufactured at low costs.

A further object of the invention is to improve on calculating machines as now customarily made.

The following description discloses only the fundamental principles of the invention with reference to drawings diagrammatically illustrating the basic mechanism necessary for realizing said principles. The principles of the invention may also be readily applied, with slight changes, to calculating machines of any kind known in the trade, for example to machines with levers or with full or reduced keyboards, with and without recording apparatus.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of an actuating mechanism according to the invention wherein the elements are in a position ready for the setting of a digital value,

Fig. 2 is a similar side elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, wherein, however, the rack is at the end of its forward stroke,

Fig. 3 is a similar side elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 with its elements likewise in setting position, wherein, however, the setting member is set for a different value,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a detail or" the mechanism shown in Fig. 3, in an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the detail shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3, a plate 4 comprising two rack sections 1, 1' forms an actuator rack capable of cooperating with a pinion 2 of a numeral wheel 3 of the register. An actuator rack 4 is associated with each numeral wheel 3 of the register. The left hand end of each actuator rack 4 is pivoted at 5 to a bent lever 6. The opposite end of said lever 6 is pivoted at 7 to the lower end of a connecting rod 8 operatively engaged with a pin 9 of the actuating crank 20 of the machine in a manner to be described hereinafter.

Each lever or adjusting link 6 is fulcrumed by a suitable setting member 6 of the setting mechanism at a point between the pivots 5 and 7, the position of which is variable according to the digital values to be set. The setting mechanism forming no part of the present invention is described in detail in my co-pending application Serial No. 214,522, new Patent No. 2,697,552.

2,744,684 Patented May 8, 1956 Points marked 0, 1, 2 9 indicate the ditferent points of pivotal engagement corresponding to the setting of the digital values, from 0 to 9. It is evident that by imparting a reciprocating movement of a constant amplitude to point 7 in a direction parallel to the actuator racks 4 the stroke effected by said actuator racks and therefore the advancement of the associated numeral wheel 3 will be the greater, the nearer the pivoting point 0, 1, 2 of lever or adjusting link 6 to point 7. Such a reciprocating movement is imparted to point 7 by the connecting rod 8, with which cooperates a crank pin 9 fixed to the actuating crank 20 of the machine. Said actuating crank 20 rotates around the axis 10. Crank pin 9 slides in a slot 11 of the connecting rod 8, the shape of the perimeter of which is designed in such a way as to ensure a brief interruption of the movement of the actuator racks 4 in correspondence to the dead centres of their reciprocating stroke. This aim is attained by providing slot 11 with two curved portions 11' opposite to each other and shaped in conformity to the path of crank pin 9 relative to connecting rod 8 in such a way that the movement of the latter under the action of crank pin 9 in said portion is Zero.

Furthermore, it is possible to arrange for a displacement of the actuator rack 4 in correspondence to the dead centres in a direction transverse to the reciprocating movement of the actuator racks so as to free rack section 1 from pinion 2 and to cause instead rack section 1 to mesh therewith and vice versa. For this purpose a cam 12 keyed to the shaft 10 of the actuating crank 20 is arranged for cooperation with the two opposite sides of a slot 13 of the plate 4.

Said movements are obtained by pivoting the points 7 of the connecting rods 8 in at least one pair of arms 14 pivoted at a point 15 to the frame of the machine. Said point 15 coincides with the fulcrum point of levers or adjusting links 6, when the digital value 0 is set as shown in full lines in Fig. I. Said point 15 however is spaced from the fulcrum point of lever 6 when another digital value is set, see Fig. 2 with the setting of the digital value 6 and Fig. 3 with the setting of the digital value 9. The upper end of each connecting rod 8 has an elongated slot 16 engaged with a pin 17 fixed to the frame for supporting and guiding the connecting rods 8 during their movements.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the open neck 22 of the round recesses 1, 2, 3 7, 8, 9 of the levers 6 is smaller in width than the diameter of the head 6" of the associated setting member 6', so that the head of such a setting member can be engaged with or disengaged from such a recess only upon lateral displacement of the setting member in the direction of the axis of the shaft carrying same, i. e. in the direction of arrow A of Fig. 5. in other words, the head of the setting member remains in engagement with a recess 1, 2, and the set fulcrum point remains established during an oscillating movement of the lever 6 by the reciprocating connecting rod 8, as no axial displacement of the setting member 6 takes place during this part of the operation.

A detailed description of the value indexing mecly anism described in the foregoing paragraph may be found in applicants copending patent application Serial No. 214,522 filed March 8, 1951 for Ten-Key Value indexing Mechanism, now Patent No. 2,697,522.

When a value is to be entered into the register, the corresponding setting members 6 of the setting mechanism are brought into a setting position, wherein their fulcrum points correspond to the digit-values of which the number is composed (for instance the setting member 6 is brought into the zero-position shown in Fig. l or into the siX-positi0n shown in Fig. 2 or into the nine-position shown in Fig. 3). Then the actuating crank 20 is rotated, whereby at first, through crank pin 9 and connecting rod 8, the levers 6 are oscillated in clockwise direction around their fulcrum points from the position shown in Fig. 1 into the position shown in Fig. 2. Thus, the actuator racks 4- are moved in the direction indicated by arrow 1, while the rack section 1 of the actuated rack 4 is in mesh with pinion 2. Thus, a first part of the rotation of numeral wheel 3 is effected. During the continuation of the rotation of the actuating crank 20, the cam 12 causes a disengagement of the rack section 1 from the pinion 2 and an engagement of the rack section 1' with said pinion 2 while the connecting rod 8 remains stationary. Immediately thereafter and while the actuating crank 20 continues its rotation in the same direction, the levers 6 change their direction of movement and oscillate in counterclockwise direction, whereby the numeral wheels 3 are further rotated until the movement required by the desired setting is accomplished by the return stroke of the rack section 1' in the direction of arrow f.

The cycle can be repeated either by a continued entering of the same numerical value into the register or, after a suitable actuation of the setting mechanism, by adding another numerical value to the preceding one in the register.

Although the pivot 7 is guided in an arcuate path having a radius equal to the length of the link 14 about pivot 15 as center, and the lower end of lever 6 connected to pivot 7 must follow the same path, the setting of the register may be properly carried out for the following reasons: When after the setting of the setting lever 6', for example into the nine-position shown in Fig. 3, the associated rack 4 is moved forwardly, the difference in the paths is compensated by a slight oscillation of the fulcrum 6" on the lever 6' around the center of rotation of the lever 6. In other words, the lever 6' is slightly rocked from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 into the dash-and-dot line position shown in said Fig. 3, which corresponds to the dash-and-dot line position of the link 6 during a forward stroke of the rack 4. Of course, the additional slight downward movement of the link 6 owing to the above mentioned oscillation of the fulcrum 6" causes a slight displacement of the rack 4 in a direction transverse to its forward stroke while it rotates slightly around the axis of cam 12, but said displacement is of such a small degree that it becomes negligible, having no influence on the setting of the register.

It will be readily understood from above, how the mechanism according to the invention may be realized with a reduced number of parts, that is in the proportion of 1 to 10 in respect with the number necessary in the hitherto known calculating machines, and how a machine incorporating such mechanism may run smoothly and absolutely silently owing to the absence of return springs and of locking devices. On the other hand, the simplicity of the parts composing the mechanism according to the invention is such as to permit a construction of the machine at low costs.

The practical fabrication of said parts, can, of course, vary within very wide limits, as the mechanism above described can be associated with setting and accumulating mechanisms of any kind without leaving the scope of the invention.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, and that various omissions and changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for the arrangements shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a calculating machine the combination of: a multi-order setting mechanism including an ordinal series of setting members settable into predetermined digital value positions, a multi-order actuator including an ordinal series of reciprocable actuator racks, a multiorder register including an ordinal series of rotatable toothed numeral wheels, each actuator rack having two parallel toothed rack sections facing each other and rigidly connected with each other, said rack sections of each actuator rack being capable of alternate operative engagement with diametrically opposite points of the associated toothed numeral wheel, a rotatable driving shaft, an ordinal actuating crank means secured to said driving shaft, an ordinal series of linkages between said actuating crank means and said actuator racks for positive reciprocation of the latter, each linkage including an adjusting link and a connecting link pivotally connected with each other at one of their ends, the other end of said adjusting link being pivoted to an associated actuator rack, the other end of said connecting link being operatively connected with said actuating crank means, said adjusting link being arranged in settable pivotal engagement intermediate its ends with the associated setting member so as to establish a fulcrum point of said adjusting link adjustable in dependence on the set digital value position of said associated setting member for adjusting the stroke of the associated actuator rack, said actuating crank means imparting to the pivotal connection between said connecting link and said adjusting link a reciprocating movement of a constant amplitude to which a reciprocating movement of a variable amplitude of the rack corresponds, and ordinal controlling means operatively connected with said driving shaft and said actuator racks for engaging one of the rack sections of the actuator racks with the associated toothed numeral wheels during their forward stroke and for engaging the other rack section of the actuator racks with the associated toothed numeral wheels during their return stroke.

2. In a calculating machine as claimed in claim 1, each actuator rack comprising a plate, said two rack sections being arranged on said plate, each plate having a slot, and said controlling means including cam means engaged with the slots of the plates.

3. In a calculating machine as claimed in claim 1, suspending means swingably mounted at one of their ends for swinging movement about a point in coaxial alignment with the fulcrum point of the adjusting links corresponding to a set digital value of 0, the other end of said suspending means being pivoted to said adjusting links in coaxial alignment with the pivotal connection of the latter with the connecting links, and the length of said suspending means being substantially equal to the length of said adjusting links.

4. In a calculating machine as claimed in claim 1, said operative connection between said actuating crank means and each of said connecting links including a slot in each of said connecting links intermediate the extreme ends thereof and a pin on each of said crank means engaged with said slot, said slots extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of said connecting link and being so shaped as to neutralize an action by said pin at the moment of reversal of the stroke of said actuator racks when said controlling means causes engagement and disengagement of the rack sections with and from said toothed numeral wheels, and ordinal guiding means operatively engaged with the end portion of the connecting link remote from the pivotal connection of the latter with the adjusting link.

5. In a calculating machine as claimed in claim 1, said operative connection between said actuating crank means and said connecting link including a slot in each of said connecting links intermediate the extreme ends thereof and a pin on each of said crank means engaged with said slot, said slots extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of said connecting link and being so shaped as to neutralize an action by said pin at the moment of reversal of the stroke of said actuator racks when said controlling means causes engagement and disengagement of the rack sections with and from said toothed numeral wheels, ordinal guiding means operatively engaged with the end portion of the connecting link remote from the pivotal connection of the latter with the adjusting link, and suspending means swingably mounted at one of their ends for swinging movement about a point in coaxial alignment with the fulcrum point of the adjusting links corresponding to a set digital value of 0, the other end of said suspending means being pivoted to said adjusting links in coaxial alignment with the pivotal connection of the latter with the connecting links, and the length of said suspending means being substantially equal to the length of said adjusting links.

6 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,028,135 Rein June 4, 1912 1,045,258 Church Nov. 26, 1912 1,527,407 Harmsen Feb. 24, 1925 1,568,800 Coss Jan. 5, 1926 2,397,166 Smith Mar. 26, 1946 2,516,920 Ryan et a1. Aug. 1, 1950 10 2,590,345 Reppert Mar. 25, 1952 OTHER REFERENCES Mechanical Movements, Devices, and Appliances, by Hiscox, published by Norman W. Henley & Co., 132 Nassau Street, New York, 1901. 

